Review: 'Trust Me,' 4.5 stars

There's a fine tradition of acerbic movies that skewer Hollywood: Think "Sunset Boulevard," "The Player" and "What Just Happened," to name a few. The dark-humored "Trust Me" is a worthy addition to the list.

Clark Gregg (from TV's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D") writes, directs and stars, and he cleverly twists fact and fiction to create the movie's universe. He plays Howard Holloway, a former child actor who never hit it big. Howard's break should have come in a Jan-Michael Vincent movie called "Surf Camp," but the death of co-star Anissa Jones (from TV's "Family Affair") derailed the picture and Howard's career.

Now, Howard is a 50-something agent who specializes in child actors. He's sad and slightly desperate, boasting an ever-present Bluetooth and a little diamond stud in his ear. When he daydreams about success, the earring grows bigger.

Howard is feckless and ineffective, but he's also struggling in a tough industry. Rival agents like the flamboyant Aldo (Sam Rockwell) swipe his clients. A casting director (Allison Janney) treats him like a nuisance. And he's just been fired by a stage mom (Molly Shannon) after her son is used as a pawn to land a "Lohan kid" for a role.

Things start looking up when Howard meets a wildly talented 13-year-old named Lydia (Saxon Sharbino, outstanding). She is up for the lead in a "Twilight"-style franchise that is to be directed by Ang Lee. Howard and Lydia work well together, though her perpetually blotto father (Paul Sparks) continually threatens to cause havoc

Perhaps because he's an actor, Gregg draws marvelous work from his cast. Everyone is pitch perfect; Sharbino, in particular, seems ready to headline any teen franchise that comes her way. Gregg is equally strong, as Howard juggles his less savory elements with moments of redemption.

He obviously knows this world well. The dialogue pretty much drips with acid (a casting agent calls Howard's clients "talentless little trolls"). There are nice little touches strewn about, such as Howard scouting out a potential client at a musical version of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis."

The film switches gears in the final act, as deceptions grow deeper and the plot takes a rather lurid twist. Gregg really reaches far, scattering in bits of magical realism and an art-house ending that is simultaneously wondrous and a trifle heavy-handed. The finale may be a bit much for some, but movie buffs will likely give Gregg the benefit of the doubt.